Ishan Kishan celebrates after leading Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph.
Credit: X
Kolkata: Ishan Kishan’s mind now does not rage. Delight of leading Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title and the uncertainty surrounding him a day ahead of India’s T20 World Cup squad selection are met with the same stoicity.
The emotions are now walled behind the soothing verses of Bhagavad Gita, Kishan’s new companion as indicated to PTI by his father Pranav Pandey.
On his part, Kishan now lives in the present, and all that matters is Jharkhand’s SMAT victory.
“Bahut achha khele, bahut maja aya; jaldi aur baat hogi aur aise hi jeet te rahenge (We really played well and hope we keep playing like this),” Kishan said after arriving to a rousing welcome at the Ranchi airport on Friday.
The Kishan-led Jharkhand defeated Haryana by 69 runs in the final at Pune, and the left-hander finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer, amassing 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate in excess of 197.
Kishan smashed 101 off 49 balls -- his fifth century in the competition -- in the final equalling India T20I opener Abhishek Sharma’s record for the most hundreds in the tournament.
The reaction was more crisp than flamboyant. “Achi thi, bahut khushi hui aur wapas tournament chalu hue toh usme bhi jeet ke ayenge (I really felt good hope we win more).”
Kishan and the Jharkhand team were understandably received with enthusiasm at home.
Accompanied by former India batter and Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) secretary Saurabh Tiwary, they were received with dhols and mandars greeting the players at the airport.
The squad was garlanded, felicitated at the stadium and later visited Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence.
So, is it Kishan’s revival after waves of unpleasantness wrapped him since losing his central contract and a place in Team India in early 2024?
Only time will tell! But those dark hours helped him discover his spiritual side.
Gita’s influence
Kishan’s father Pranav, a businessman, said following Gita’s holy scriptures was mooted by the cricketer’s mother, a doctor by profession.
“My mother told me to read the Gita. So, I suggested that he read the Gita,” Pandey said.
“She had told me if you are in a lot of tension, then you keep your question in your mind and open the Gita. Read the page that comes in front of you. You will get the answer to your question in that page, helping in dealing with the situation. I asked him (Kishan) to do the same,” said Pandey.
Pandey said now it has become a habit with Kishan.
“The Gita is always with him, and he keeps it in his box. If he feels the need, he reads it. He carries a pocket Gita wherever he goes. Whenever something happens, he opens it and reads it.”
According to Pandey, the impact of this spiritual grounding is evident in Kishan’s batting as well.
“We have seen it. For any person, the Bhagavad Gita gives you strength to support you anytime,” he said.
“His maturity level has increased. His batting has matured. He likes to take more responsibility. He is mentally more mature. He plays less rash shots now.”
Pandey recalled an incident that underlined the new mindset of Kishan.
“He was here after getting injured during the County stint with Nottinghamshire. There was a 20-odd days break, and he met with a freak accident when he fell off a motorcycle,” he said.
The unfortunate incident scuttled his chances of getting drafted into the India squad in England as a replacement for injured Rishabh Pant, who suffered a toe niggle in the fourth Test at Manchester.
Instead, N Jagadeesan joined the national squad in England.
“He (Kishan) was very depressed that time. Now he’s perfectly fine. When you are in depression, his nature was never to show emotions.
But as parents, we could understand his emotions,” he added.
Pandey believes that spirituality played a big role in Kishan’s resurgence.
“I believe the spirituality he has imbibed has played a big role in this turnaround. It has played a big role.”
Rs 2 Crore reward
But now gradually goodness has begun to seep back into Kishan’s career, and the first sign is a Rs 2 crore reward for the SMAT winning team by the JSCA.
JSCA president Ajay Nath Shah Deo said the team’s historic triumph had drawn national attention and was confident that
“We are champions, and the whole country has taken notice of them. I am sure Kishan is going to be in the (Indian) team,” Shah Deo said.